The Grabber
by Accidental Cougar
Summary: In season 3's episode, "Welcome to America, Mr. Brand", Amanda mentions a grabber that she'd had to entertain. This is my version of how that evening went.


**The Grabber**

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

**Author's Note: In season 3's episode, "Welcome to America, Mr. Brand", Amanda mentions a grabber that she'd had to entertain. The episode doesn't say when she dealt with the "Octopus from Interpol" as Lee called him, but I assume it was probably sometime in season 2. This is my version of how that evening went.**

**L&AL&AL&AL&AL&AL&AL&AL&A**

Amanda sat stiffly in her chair across from Nigel Hawthorn as he told another boorish story about his exploits as a British Interpol operative. She had managed, so far, to maintain a smile but she was at the point that she was afraid her face would freeze that way, if she had to do so much longer.

Though not really a bad looking man, he did seem to think his looks went beyond merely good looking and into the stratosphere of dashingly handsome. A view she did not share. Lee and Mr. Melrose had asked her to entertain him for the evening and she had promised she would. She hadn't realized that her idea of entertain, wasn't the same as the British agent's idea.

Twice in the car, on the way out to eat, she'd had to forcibly remove his hand from her thigh and when they'd reached the restaurant, it was merely her quick thinking that had kept him from attacking her in the parking lot and wrestling her into the back seat.

Refusing to allow the parking attendant near his car, Nigel steered it around behind the restaurant and parked it in a quiet corner in the back. No sooner than he'd turned off the ignition then he was sliding across the seat towards her.

Amanda quickly reached to unhook her seatbelt but it wouldn't release; a fact that seemed to please her amorous charge. "Oh, dear," he exclaimed. "It looks like it's stuck. Let me see if I can help you." He grinned lecherously at her as he began to move in on her.

Amanda gave the seatbelt another try but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, she remembered the small bottle of perfume in her purse. Quickly, she opened her purse and reached in, finding it just as he settled his arms around her and was moving in for a kiss. Aiming the bottle directly at his face, Amanda laid down a withering barrage of sickening sweet perfume, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, my God!" He practically shouted. "What the…!?"

Just then Amanda's seatbelt finally let go and she beat a hasty retreat from the car. She had already reached the restaurant door when Nigel caught up to her, smelling a little less manly and a little more like Sweet Honesty, the Avon perfume she'd had in her purse, a gift from her mother.

"What the hell did you spray me for?" His overly polite manner was slipping badly as his irritation grew. Amanda King was a pretty woman and Nigel Hawthorn always bedded every pretty woman he came into contact with. However, so far, he was getting nowhere fast with this one and it was beginning to rankle him. "I was only trying to help with your seatbelt."

"I'm sorry," Amanda managed to look contrite. She reminded herself of her promise to Lee and Mr. Melrose yet again. "I didn't really mean to spray you. I was just going to put a little on me and well, I guess the button got stuck, you know like the seatbelt, well not exactly like the seatbelt, because one's a belt and one's a perfume but well, I couldn't get it to stop, well of course I couldn't get it to stop, I mean if I could've gotten it to stop, I would've but well, you know, it wouldn't so I…" She finally stopped when she saw the glassy eyed look he gave her.

"Come on, Nigel." She smiled sweetly. "Let's go eat."

Taking a deep breath in exasperation, Nigel followed her into the restaurant, ignoring the looks the Maître' Di gave him. He was disappointed when they were shown to a table in the middle of the large room where just about everyone there could see just about everything he did.

But he reminded himself, there was still the ride home to look forward to. Of course that would follow a detour to his hotel room first. He still planned on getting her into bed, one way or another.

But Amanda wasn't quite as dumb as he thought and she certainly wasn't as enamored of him as he imagined. All through dinner, she plotted a way to avoid any more contact with him than was necessary. Twice she had to scoot her chair over when he insisted on sitting extremely close and more than once she felt his bare foot skimming up her leg, not to mention the hand she had to swat off of her knee.

Resolutely reminding herself yet again of her promise, she handled it all with an outwardly sweet smile and an air of interest as he regaled her with story after story of his feats of daring do. But inside she was seething and she vowed to herself, Lee Stetson and Billy Melrose, that after tonight, she would never spend another evening with another agent from England.

After dinner was finished and they returned to the car, Amanda suddenly had an idea. Quickly as she could, she opened the back door of the sedan and slid into the back seat, this time not even bothering with the seatbelt.

"Um, Amanda, dear." Nigel gave her a confused look. "Why on earth are you sitting back there?"

"Oh, well, you know." Amanda shrugged. "It's such a nice car and all and I've already sat in the front seat and I know how what's it like to ride up there." _'Boy don't I.'_ She thought. "I just thought I'd ride back here and, you know, see what the back seat is like. Besides, that seat belt sticks."

Nigel gave her a glare but offered no further protest as he got in the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. He might not have her in the front seat but he still had her in the car, and the night was young.

He had driven only a few miles when at the next stoplight, he turned on his left turn signal. Amanda noted that and knew he would be going the opposite direction of her home if he continued. "Uh, Nigel. I believe you're going the wrong way. My house is in Arlington. This way will take us to…"

"My hotel," he finished for her. "I hope you don't mind but I do need to stop by and change my clothes, all that perfume you know. Besides, it is early Amanda. Surely you don't want to go home just yet."

"Yes, I would, though." Amanda answered earnestly. "I really would like to go home, Nigel. I have two little boys to take care of and…"

"Didn't you tell me your mother lived with you?" He interrupted her again.

"Well, yes," she had to admit. "But my sons are my responsibility and I need to be there when they get up in the morning and…"

"Ah, but you will, my dear." He stopped her yet again. "I promise you, I will have you home before they arise."

As a passenger in a speeding car, Amanda had little choice but to reluctantly sit back in the seat and ride. But she had no intentions of allowing him to get her alone in his hotel room. Though she had very little money with her, she did have some change and if she could get to a pay phone she could call a cab and pay for it when she got home. If she got home.

Smiling wickedly to himself, Nigel steered the car as swiftly as possible to his hotel. He had plans for the beautiful brunette and he was anxious to get to them. As soon as he parked the car, Nigel opened the back door and reached in, grasping Amanda firmly by the arm. "Come along, my dear." He smiled down at her, rows of even white teeth gleaned, reminding Amanda of a shark or more closely, a wolf.

As they neared the front of the hotel, Amanda tried to pull away from her escort but found to her dismay, he wasn't so willing to let her go. "Uh, Nigel," she pushed his hand off of her hip, where he'd placed it. "I uh, need to go to the ladies room."

"No problem, my dear." He smiled again, wider, making her a little nauseous. "You can use the loo in my room." Of course, he planned on her doing more than just use the loo.

"Uh, no, Nigel." Amanda pulled his hand away from right breast, where he'd moved it from her hip. "Honestly. I'll just find one down here and then I think I'll call a cab to take me home. That way you don't have to drive anymore tonight."

"Ah, Amanda, my dear." He stopped and pulled her closer, despite her obvious desire to get out of his arms. "I don't mind driving. As a matter of fact, I plan on driving more than just my car tonight, if you get my meaning."

She did and the thought made her sick. "No, Nigel." She squealed as he crushed her to his chest and dropped his lips to the nape of her neck. "Please."

But Nigel had had enough of waiting and he was going to get what he wanted, even if he had to take it in the parking lot. Ignoring her protests, he wrapped one arm firmly around her waist and buried his face in her neck as the other hand snaked towards her breast.

Just when Amanda thought she was going to be the victim of an assault right there in the parking lot of the Hilton Inn, Nigel was suddenly ripped away from her, spun around and decked by one very angry man by the name of Lee Stetson. Amanda was stunned and could do little but stand there as Lee reached down, grabbed Nigel by the lapels, pulled him up and punched him again.

"You touch her one more time and you are history, pal." Lee hissed at him. Reaching over, he gently took Amanda by the arm. "Come on, Amanda, I'm taking you home."

Amanda said nothing as she willingly and gratefully followed him to his car. It wasn't until they had exited the parking lot that she found her voice. "How did you know… why were you there?"

"I ran into a friend of mine this afternoon that just happened to know a lot about Nigel Hawthorn. He said he considers himself to be a Don Juan and tries to get everyone he meets into bed, willingly or otherwise. I tried calling you at home to warn you but your mother said you'd already left and since I didn't know which restaurant you were going to, I parked outside of his hotel and waited. I figured he'd try to get you up to his room on some sort of pretense."

Amanda was stunned and pleased more than she had words to express.

Lee noticed the silence. "Hey, are you alright? I mean he didn't…"

"Oh, no." Amanda hastily reassured him. "I mean he was planning to, I think, but no. He didn't. I'm just…" She gave him a soft look that melted him right to the core. "Thank you, Lee."

"You have nothing to thank me for, Amanda." He shook his head ruefully. "I didn't know Hawthorn was such a…"

"Grabber." Amanda supplied.

Lee frowned, not exactly the word he was looking for but it worked. "Yeah, grabber. I didn't know he was such a grabber this morning, or I'd never have sent you off with him tonight. I'm really sorry about that, Amanda."

Amanda was so happy right then, she would've forgiven him anything, even sending her out with Nigel the Grabber. But thinking of the odious man with rushin' hands and roamin' fingers, as her mother would've said, she knew she never wanted to be around someone like him ever again. "Make me a promise, Lee?"

Lee glanced over at her, still overwhelmingly glad that he'd got to her before Nigel had. "What?"

"Promise me I'll never have to go out with another grabber? I mean, I'll do whatever I can for the Agency and you know that but… well, promise me?"

Lee grinned. "I promise, Amanda." He reached over and took her hand impulsively. "No more grabbers."

Amanda sat back in her seat with a smile for the first time that night and said nothing more until Lee pulled into her driveway. "Lee," she smiled over at him. "Thank you again for what you did tonight. I'm not sure what I would've done if you…"

"I told you, Amanda. You have nothing to thank me for. I'm just glad you're alright and I promise you, you'll never have to spend any more time with Nigel Hawthorn or any one like him, ever again."

As Lee looked over into Amanda's beautifully soft brown eyes, a thought sprang into his mind that he wanted her to spend time with him instead, but ruthlessly, he tamped that down. '_Uh, huh, Scarecrow.'_ He warned himself. _'She's not for you.'_

Amanda said no more as she opened her door and stepped out, waving as he drove off. Her night hadn't turned out all that bad after all, she thought as she headed into her house.

Lee glanced into his rear view mirror when he pulled away from the house, grateful that Amanda was alright. Angrily he resolved to do more than just punch Hawthorn the next time he saw him. The thought of kicking the British agent all the way back home personally, was a pleasant one.

The next morning, Amanda walked into the Agency's foyer just as the closet elevator opened and Nigel Hawthorn came storming out, followed by Lee and Billy. Though Hawthorn said nothing to her, the look he gave Amanda was withering and for just a second he hesitated.

But instantly Lee and Billy stepped to either side of Amanda, matching glares on their faces. "You have something to say?" Billy asked the Brit with an edge to his voice.

Hawthorn looked at Amanda and then the two scowling men beside her. "Sorry." He mumbled before turning and hurrying out.

Amanda looked first to Lee then to Billy. "Do I want to know?"

"Nope." Lee grinned.

Billy's smile matched Lee's as he patted Amanda on the shoulder and headed for the elevator. "We were just taking out the trash."

Amanda watched him leave then looked back at Lee. "You all didn't…"

Lee shook his head. "Like Billy said, we were just taking out the trash."

Amanda studied Lee's face for a moment, unsure of what she saw there. "Thank you." She finally sighed.

Lee, for some reason, suddenly felt uncomfortable in her intense scrutiny and shrugged, turning for the closet elevator. "No, problem, Amanda." He waved it off. "Now, come on. Billy's got some typing for you to do."

Amanda said no more but smiled widely at her partner. She didn't want to spend another night with Nigel Hawthorn but she wouldn't mind a grabber if it were her partner.

As they got into the elevator, Lee noticed her suddenly blush and drop her head. "What's wrong?"

Amanda shook her head, refusing to look up at him, for fear he'd be able to read her expression. "Oh, nothing." She answered. '_Just thinking of grabbers._' She thought.

The End


End file.
